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When I think of barbacoa, the first thing that comes to mind is the PERFECT taco… tender beef in a corn tortilla, loaded with sliced avocado, strips of red onion, fresh cilantro, and a light sprinkle of queso fresco.
There’s nothing better in the world, but prices at chains like Chipotle and Qdoba can quickly turn steep. What’s more, they’re not always easy to find.
So when I first made this Instant Pot Barbacoa, it was a given that tacos would soon follow!
But making it in the Instant Pot isn’t the only way. In fact, most would argue that a slow cooker is the ONLY way to turn a tough chuck roast into the kind of fall-apart tender beef we all know and love.
Which one should you choose? It’s totally up to you – it all boils down to if you have 6-8 hours to spare or not.
Either way, these barbacoa tacos will come out tasting absolutely incredible!
This is amazing! My whole family loved this dish. It’s the perfect combination of spice and flavor, and the meat is so tender. I topped them with pickled onions, avocado, cheese, and cilantro. Will DEFINITELY be making again.
– Jen
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, please see the recipe card below.
- Toppings. Options for taco toppings are limitless, but fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, and queso fresco are most recommended.
- Beef. Chuck roast is the best cut for this recipe. A 3-4 pound roast is ideal, with as much excess fat trimmed away as possible, to avoid too much rendering into the sauce.
- Chipotle chiles. The canned variety in adobo sauce was used for this recipe, to add spiciness and a tangy-sweet flavor. The adobo is very spicy, so take care on how much you add.
- Beef broth. Both regular and reduced-sodium broth will work, but may also be substituted with chicken or vegetable broth.
- Lime. The bright acidity of fresh lime juice helps break through the heavy richness of the meat, adding both flavor and tenderization.
- Vinegar. Both apple cider vinegar and white wine vinegar can be used to tenderize the beef further, adding a tanginess to it.
- Molasses. To keep the dish from turning sour from so much acid, molasses adds a bit of sweetness with a dark, rich depth of flavor. Brown sugar may also be used, as an alternative.
- Garlic. Fresh garlic is best for this dish, minced finely, but if you don’t have that on hand then ⅛ teaspoon of garlic powder can be substituted for each clove.
- Spices. Salt, pepper, cumin, oregano, and paprika all add greater depth of flavor to the meat.
- Onion. Any kind of onion may be used for this recipe, but a white or sweet variety is recommended.
- Green chiles. For a little bit of extra heat, using canned or fresh green chiles, diced up fine, is the perfect option. They can be omitted for a less spicy result.
- Bay leaves. These help to cut through the richness of many beef-based dishes, infusing them with a subtly bitter, herbal flavor as a contrast.
- Tortillas. Either flour or corn tortillas can work for this recipe, depending on your preference.
Step-by-step Instructions
Please see the recipe card below for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
Prepare the beef.
To prevent it from rendering out into the sauce and diluting it, as much of the excess fat should be trimmed away from the chuck roast as possible. This also keeps the dish from building up too much grease, which can weigh it down.
The meat should then be sliced into about 10-12 large chunks, about 2 or 3 inches in size. This will strike the right balance between large enough to shred, and small enough to tenderize properly.
Sear the pieces.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven, then season the beef with salt and pepper. Sear in batches for 4–5 minutes, turning until browned on all sides, and transfer to a plate.
Work in small batches so the meat browns properly—if too much liquid builds up, remove some pieces and increase the heat to help it evaporate.
Sauté and deglaze.
Remove the beef, then add a little oil and sauté the onion for 2–3 minutes until softened.
Pour in the broth and scrape up the browned bits to build flavor, then transfer the liquid to a 6–8 quart Instant Pot.
Make the sauce.
Combine all of the ingredients for the chipotle sauce in a high-speed blender for 30 seconds, or until smooth. Then add it to the Instant Pot with the beef, along with the diced chiles.
Mix them all up well with the onions and deglazing liquid, until a bright, cohesive chipotle sauce forms.
If tweaking the sauce to taste at this point, remember that it will mellow out a bit once it has been all soaked up by the meat.
Cook in the Instant Pot.
Add the seared beef to the Instant Pot and stir to coat; it should be partially submerged. Place bay leaves on top.
Seal the lid, cook on high pressure for 60 minutes, then quick-release the pressure.
Optional: Cook in slow cooker.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the beef and sear in batches, leaving space so it browns properly. Transfer to a plate.
Deglaze the pot with ¼ cup broth, stirring in the chipotle sauce and scraping up browned bits. Transfer everything to a slow cooker with the beef, onions, chiles, and bay leaves.
Cover and cook on low for 6–8 hours, until the meat is tender and falls apart easily.
Shred the beef.
For either cooking method, remove the bay leaves as soon as the meat has finished cooking. Their texture can be very chewy and unpleasant even after simmering, so they are no longer needed once they’ve added their flavor.
Using two forks, carefully shred the beef up into small strands. The finer the shredding, the more easily the meat will hold and soak up the chipotle sauce.
Give the meat a good stir, ensuring all of it gets coated thoroughly, and prepare to dish it up.
Serve as tacos.
In a stainless steel or cast iron skillet, lightly toast several corn or flour tortillas, depending on preference. This warms the tortillas, and helps to bring a little extra depth to their flavor.
From there, the meat can be served as tacos with your favorite toppings of choice! Sliced avocado, thin-sliced red onion, a squeeze of lime juice, and just a little bit of queso fresco all pair especially beautifully with it.
You could even go all out and make your own Lime Crema or Homemade Pico de Gallo to go with them.
Serve the tacos up fresh and warm, and enjoy!
FAQs
Barbacoa tacos are generally made out of beef chuck roast, beef cheeks, and sometimes even brisket. However, they can also be made out of meats like lamb or mutton.
Any toppings you like can go on barbacoa tacos, but simple options like diced onion, fresh cilantro, and a drizzle of lime juice are especially common.
Barbacoa is generally made with slow-cooked shredded meat such as beef, lamb, or mutton, but carnitas are most often made from slow-cooked shredded pork.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–5 days. To freeze, place in a sealed freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months.
What to serve with it?
While these slow cooker barbacoa beef tacos make for an amazing meal in their own right, there’s loads of other recipes that can pair well with them:
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Barbacoa Tacos Recipe (Chipotle Copycat)
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Ingredients
Chipotle Sauce:
- 3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce if you’d like extra spice
- ½ cup beef broth
- ¼ cup lime juice freshly squeeze
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon molasses or brown sugar
- 5 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Barbacoa Beef:
- 3-4 pounds chuck roast fat trimmed and cut into large chunks
- 2 tablespoon oil divided
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup white onion finely chopped
- 4 ounces can diced green chiles
- 2 Bay leaves
- ¼ cup beef broth
Tacos:
- Corn or Flour Tortillas toasted
- Cilantro chopped
- Red onion thinly sliced
- Cotija cheese crumbled
Instructions
Instant Pot:
- Add 1 tablespoon oil to a Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add beef and sprinkle on salt and black pepper. Sear on all sides for a total of 4-5 minutes. You may have to do this in two batches if all of the meat does not fit in a single layer.3-4 pounds chuck roast, ¾ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Remove the beef from the pot and add an additional tablespoon of oil and the diced onion. Saute for 2-3 minutes, or until tender. Pour in the broth to deglaze the pot and scrape the bottom of it to release any stuck bits and pieces. Transfer the cooking liquid to the Instant Pot.1 cup white onion
- Add all chipotle sauce ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend for 30 seconds, or until smooth.3 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, ½ cup beef broth, ¼ cup lime juice, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon molasses, 5 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon cumin, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, ½ teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add the blended chipotle sauce and can of diced chiles to the Instant Pot. Stir to combine, and then add the beef, making sure to submerge it in the sauce. Place the bay leaves on top of the meat.4 ounces can diced green chiles, 2 Bay leaves
- Close the Instant Pot with the lid, ensuring the pressure release valve is set to sealed, and set to a manual pressure cook function on high pressure and cook for 60 minutes. Quick release the pressure as soon as the timer goes off.
- Remove the bay leaves and shred the beef using two forks. Stir it to completely coat it in the sauce.
- If desired, set the Instant Pot to the saute function and cook for 4-5 minutes to cook off some of the extra liquid.
Slow Cooker:
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a Dutch oven over Medium-high heat. Add beef and sprinkle on salt and black pepper. Sear on all sides for a total of 4-5 minutes. You may have to do this in two batches if all of the meat does not fit in a single layer. Remove the meat and deglaze the bottom of the pot with ¼ cup of beef broth.
- Add all chipotle sauce ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend for 30 seconds, or until smooth.
- Pour the blended chipotle sauce into the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker along with the beef broth from the Dutch oven. Give it a good stir and then place the pieces of seared beef down into the sauce. Add in the onions, diced chiles, and bay leaves.
- Cover the slow cooker with a lid and cook for 6-8 hours on low or until meat is tender and begins to fall apart.
- Remove the bay leaves and shred the beef using two forks. Stir it to completely coat it in the sauce.
- Serve barbacoa immediately in a toasted corn or flour tortilla with sliced red onion, avocado, cilantro, and queso fresco. Enjoy!Corn or Flour Tortillas, Cilantro, Red onion, Cotija cheese
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Video
Notes
- Meat: The meat can be salted and left in the fridge to tenderize for at least one day before cooking, for better flavor and texture. Dry off the pieces of beef with a paper towel before searing, to yield a better, browner crust.
- Ingredients: For better results, always use fresh ingredients for cooking and toppings as opposed to dried or processed ones.
- Searing: While browning the meat, cook a few pieces at a time and give them room for moisture to evaporate.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Mexican Entrée Recipes
For a fun weeknight dinner or for a celebration with friends, these tacos are just one of many brightly flavored Mexican dishes to enjoy at home:
Instant Pot al Pastor Tacos
1 hr 10 mins
Best Flank Steak Fajitas
45 mins
Chicken Tinga Tostadas
40 mins
Pineapple Pulled Pork Tacos (Slow Cooker Recipe)
6 hrs 15 mins
Your post has been incredibly helpful and informative.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Chrystal! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
This is amazing! My whole family loved this dish. It’s the perfect combination of spice and flavor, and the meat is so tender. I topped them with pickled onions, avocado, cheese, and cilantro. Will DEFINITELY be making again.
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Jen! I’m so glad your whole family loved it. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!